He's a Pirate
by AshleyBudrick
Summary: One-shot. During COBP. Elizabeth is so wrapped up in Norrington’s proposal, and her feelings for Will, she decides to pay a little visit to a certain pirate who saved her life. -Slight Sparrabeth-


Taking a first glance at me, you'd probably think I had a life anyone would die to have. I had the benefit of being the Governor's daughter-with more money than I knew what to do with-, I was pampered daily by my maids, given beautiful dresses and jewelry, and had the pleasurable company of all the high class society. You may like the sound of it, but I can assure you, there is more to my life than just what you see and know.

Yes, I may be the Governor's daughter, and yes I may have maids and yes I may have a large collection of expensive clothing and jewelry, but I'll say this.

So what?

Because I had all those things doesn't mean I enjoy them. Sure, what girl doesn't like to be given gifts and adorn herself in jewelry a common peasant could never dream of owning? But after a while, let me tell you, it starts to get pretty dull. Oh, a new dress. How exquisite! I'll just add that to my collection that's large enough for three women. Oh, a diamond necklace! I'll just put that away with the ten other ones I own.

True, you may think it would be wonderful to have maids pamper you all day, but to me, maids shadowing my every move, it gives me the feeling that I am not twenty years old at all, but a little girl who can't do anything by herself.

To get right down to the point, most of the time my life is pretty boring. I start noticing how repetitive and dull my life was getting around the age of fifteen. Sometimes, I often wondered if the common peasants had more fun than I did.

Most of the time, I find myself reading. I like to read books, they allow me to pretend that I am the character in the book and for a short time realize what it would be like to live a life different than the one I'm currently living. Although my father doesn't approve of it at all, I like to read about pirates. Notorious pirates that sailed the Caribbean waters and pirates that still do.

The one pirate tale that most intrigues me is the one of Captain Jack Sparrow. I thought of him to be quite intresting, and I loved hearing stories about him and how he had been marooned on an island for three weeks and survived, managing to get off the island with the help of sea turtles.

Fancy that I enjoy reading about him, because, just today, I met Captain Jack Sparrow. It was a most peculiar way of meeting someone. I had fainted because of my cursed corset, and fell from the fort down into the sea below. From what I've come to know, Jack Sparrow apparently jumped in and saved me from drowning.

However, James, that's James Norrington, found out who he was and tried to arrest him. Jack had taken me hostage for the shortest time, in order to escape. He did no harm to me, however. I was mad at him for a while, because of how he had threatened me, but now I feel sorry for him. I later learned after Jack's unique escape - to say the least – he had later been captured in the blacksmith's shop, and put in jail.

I mentioned James Norrington, and in case you don't know, he received the rank of Commodore today, at his promotion ceremony. Afterwards, as I had kind of been expecting, he proposed to me.

This proposal had shocked me, although I was more concerned about breathing at the moment. (Soon after he had proposed, that's when I had my little tumble off the fort). Since the ordeal with Jack earlier, I have had a lot of time to think it over. Of course, James was a fine man… but there was another fine man that came to mind.

Will Turner. We've known each other since we were twelve. On my crossing from England, I spotted Will afloat on a piece of wreckage, and we saved his life and brought him to Port Royal with us. However, Will is not one of high class society. Will is a blacksmith, and I see him occasionally in town now and then. We are friends, but we see each other so little, for even when we do, I hardly get a chance to speak with him.

Despite Will's place in society, I am struggling over my feelings for him, and for James as well. I'm not sure what to think, and when I came home today, I could barely focus on what I was reading because of it. My mind was spinning so much, I put the book down, and left my room, went down the stairs, and walked out the door.

I smelled the salty air and looked down the driveway towards Port Royal. I'm not often permitted to leave the house alone, but it was Port Royal, not Tortuga, the pirate port I'd read about. It's not like anything could happen to me.

Determined, I set out down the dirt path, wearing one of my many dresses, adorned with all the bows and frills and intricate patterns you can imagine. If anyone had caught me at the moment, especially my father, he probably would have dragged me back inside by my ear. In his opinion, or the opinion of any of the maids or servants, I wasn't dressed near suitable enough to be heading out into town. Well, I had my dress and shoes, of course, but I wore no jewelry, my hair hung down my back, and I wore no hat to protect my face and neck from the warm Jamaican sun.

Honestly, I didn't care. When I first set out, my mind was in such a commotion, thinking about James, Will, pirates… I stopped at the gate, not really sure where I was going. I decided, I was going to pay a trip to the fort.

At the moment, I wanted to avoid James as much as possible – and without doubt that's where he'd be – but there was someone else at the fort I wanted to pay a visit to. It seemed crazy when I first thought of it, but I was going to see Jack Sparrow. I knew he was probably going to the gallows the next morning, and found it quite unfair. Jack had saved my life, but James insisted upon his arrest because of the fact that he was a pirate.

Perhaps a conversation with Jack Sparrow would get my mind off of the things that were troubling me.

I arrived at the fort and was allowed in by using the excuse I came to see James, which as I'd already mentioned, wasn't at all a part of my plan. It took me just a short time to figure out where the prisoners were kept, and I clattered down the stairs, but was stopped by an officer in uniform. He had his gun, but when he saw I was a woman he let it fall to his side.

"I'm afraid you can't be here," He said, standing solemnly in my way from preventing me from coming down the stairs any further.

"Commodore Norrington has given me permission," I lied, giving the officer a little smile, "So if you do excuse me…"

Ok, that was one benefit sometimes of being the Governor's daughter and being acquainted to James, I could easily get my way by simply lying or… I didn't need to lie, tell the truth. The officer gave a nod and let me pass. I looked around, trying to spot Jack. A few pirates that were in a jail cell not far away started whistling and cat calling me. I gave them a look of disgust, and walked past their cell, peering into the one beside it. There was a man, sitting in the left corner closest to the bars, with his hat down over his face, and he appeared to be asleep. I leaned in, almost pressing my face against the bars to get a better look at him, to see if it was Jack.

I jumped back in surprise when he spoke.

"What do ye want, love?"

Recovering quickly from my little scare, I recognized his voice.

"Jack Sparrow?" I said, peering at him through the bars.

"That's me," He lifted his hat, uncovering most of his face, and when he saw it was me he gave me a little smirk out of the corner of his mouth, and I wasn't sure how to interpret it. He took his hat off and tossed it beside him, and said, "Elizabeth. What brings you down here, especially to see me? To laugh at the fact that perhaps tomorrow I'm going to the gallows?"

"No," I replied, "You know… Mr. Sparrow… I think I shouldn't be mad at you, for what you did earlier today."

"I hardly threatened you, love," Jack grinned, "I didn't even cock the pistol…"

"I have to admit I'm awfully sorry," I kneeled down on the cold cobblestone floor. I glanced over my shoulder at the officer and was thankful to see he was walking down the hallway. He must have thought I was crazy to come down here to talk to a pirate. I looked back at Jack, and truly, I did feel sympathetic.

"I'm a pirate," Jack answered, shrugging, "Ye shouldn't be feeling sorry for me."

"I want you to know I tried to stop Commodore Norrington from arresting you," I bit my lip, "You saved my life after all."

"It's alright love," Jack dismissed my apology with a wave of his hand, "The Commodore is just going by the law… anyhow, you didn't answer my question? What bring you down here to see me?"

I bit my lip and was silent for a moment, pondering over whether I should tell him the truth. The truth, I came here, just because I figured he was someone I could talk to, and if I was lucky enough, talk to about my confusion over liking both James and Will… and perhaps get his advice on the matter. He's a pirate, I know, you must be thinking, why on earth would you go to a pirate to ask such a thing? My answer would be, I'm not sure. Even now, I'm not sure why I decided to confide in Jack that day.

Snapping out of my silence, I looked at him and opened my mouth to answer, but he spoke before I could even get one word out.

"Ah, I see. You just came down here to bathe in the company of the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow," Jack gave me a sly little grin, "The first meeting was too short or perhaps ruined by the fact that I had frightened you by putting my pistol to your head… and you've come back to start it all over from the top."

He actually thought I was some crazed worshiper of his. Those words that came from his mouth, now that I look back on them, actually… made sense, and perhaps it was the answer beneath the stupid one I had conjured up about my confusion over James and Will.

"What makes you think that?" I asked, avoiding direct eye contact with him, for I was aware that my cheeks had begun to fluster.

"You _have_ read about me, haven't you?" Jack chuckled, "I'm pretty sure almost everyone here has, savvy?"

"Well… I have read about you," I confessed, "In fact, your stories are quite intresting."

"I'm flattered to hear you say such a thing, love," Jack raised one of his eyebrows, "Oi, what's with your cheeks? Find it hot in 'ere or something?"

He chuckled after this, which made me realize he was very much aware that it wasn't the heat, and that I was blushing. Immediately I looked down at my lap. I didn't want him to start thinking the wrong ideas… that perhaps I was attracted to him… the idea of it… was absurd, after all!! I was struggling over feelings for James and Will, and I wasn't planning to add another man to the mix.

"Yer a beautiful girl, I must say," Jack went on, "I wanted to complement ya earlier t'day, but I don't think you're Commodore would have liked it much."

I was taken aback by this. Jack automatically assumed we were together. I decided then to tell him otherwise.

"I'm not with him, if that's what you mean," I looked up, relieved to feel my cheeks starting to cool down.

"Ah? I thought ye were," Jack shrugged, and then a wry smile came across his face, "Then… who is it that yer in love with?"

"That's entirely improper to ask!" I cried, surprised at his sudden boldness. Jack shook his head and paid no attention to what I said. He went on:

"Well I met a young lad in the blacksmith's shop," Jack said, "He was very keen on trying to kill me, he mentioned your name. Personally, I think the boy's in love wit' you."  
He was talking about Will! I was so shocked, I believe the color drained out of my face, because Jack looked at me in concern.

"You alright, love?" Jack raised his eyebrows, and he reached out through the bars, and before I could react he touched my face slightly. My face went from white to bright red, and I jumped back.

"What was that?" I cried, quite shocked.

"You ain't pale anymore," He grinned.

For a moment, I couldn't speak. I was in the process of getting over the shock that Jack had just touched my face. Not before had any man done that to me, especially a pirate like Jack. This sent my heart pounding wildly in my chest… even more than it had when James had asked me to marry him, or when I had saw Will in my house that morning to deliver James' sword to my father.

Immediately I was horrified. My pounding heart for James and Will… I knew I had some sort of feelings for them… and my heart pounding now, just after Jack had touched my face, what was that supposed to mean??

Of course, I didn't love him! I couldn't love him. Jack was a… pirate.

Jack smiled at me through the bars, obviously quite amused by my facial expression and my inability to speak a single word.

"I… I…" I stammered, worse than a person who had been dunked in freezing cold water, "Y.. You're a pirate!!"

"Yeah, I'm a pirate," Jack answered, giving me a weird look, "I honestly hope you didn't just realize that…"

"Of course not," I replied, regaining my focus, "That's not what I meant… I meant… how dare you touch my face! You have no right to do that at all!"

"I apologize, I just couldn't resist, love," He chuckled.

I looked into his eyes for a long time; I guess I could say I was trying to see into him. To see if he was telling the truth. I whipped around when I heard the door opening.

"Ah, there probably comes your Commodore," Jack went back to his corner and placed his hat over his eyes, "Nice talking with you, Elizabeth."

"Nice talking with you… too," I answered softly, and I leapt to my feet and turned around as I heard footsteps come walking down the stairs.

I saw James, and he saw me. He smiled.

"My goodness Elizabeth," He said, "There you are. I heard you had come to see me."

"Uh… yes," I returned the smile.

James walked over to me and took me gently by the arm, taking a disgusted look around the jails.

"What are you doing down here in this filth?" James asked me rhetorically. Of course, I knew he wasn't looking for an answer, "Come, Elizabeth, I'll take a walk with you."

"Alright," I answered, and he headed up the stairs. I looked back over my shoulder to see if Jack was watching me go. His back was to me, and I somewhat felt my heart sink.

"Goodbye, Jack," I thought.


End file.
